Christian world

Pope Francis will visit Ecumenical Patriarchate and meet with His-All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew

His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew will welcome Pope Francis to the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Constantinople on November 29 and 30, 2014. Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew extended the invitation to the Pope during His Holiness’ inaugural Mass in March 2013.

Pope Francis is scheduled to attend a Doxology at 4:00 p.m. (UTC/GMT + 2 hours) on November 29, on the eve of the Feast of St. Andrew, after which he will meet privately with the Ecumenical Patriarch. The following morning, Nov. 30 at   9:30 a.m. (UTC/GMT + 2 hours) Pope Francis will attend the Divine Liturgy in honor of the Feast day of St. Andrew. Following the Divine Liturgy, the two spiritual leaders will sign a Common Declaration.

New model nursery school in Fhes, Jordan

A model Nursery School, belonging to the Orthodox Schools Complex of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem, now operates in the Christian town of Fhes near Amman, Jordan.

Prince Charles speaks of ‘soul-destroying tragedy’ facing Christians in Middle East

Prince Charles spoke today of the "soul-destroying tragedy" facing Christians in the Middle East.

Addressing the congregation of the St Yeghiche Armenian Church in South Kensington, London, the Prince of Wales said that the faith was “quite literally, grotesquely and barbarously assaulted”.

Church of England Allows Women to Become Bishops

The Church of England has approved an amendment allowing women to be appointed as bishops. After the vote, the Archbishop of Canterbury praised the historic decision and warned his coreligionists against the 'imminent danger' of schism.

The Church of England has formally approved an amendment allowing women to become bishops; the first female bishops will be ordained next year.

Bedford-Strohm named Germany's top Protestant bishop

Heinrich Bedford-Strohm, already bishop for the state of Bavaria, has been named the new chairman of the EKD, a German umbrella organization of Protestant, Lutheran and reformist churches. He replaces Nikolaus Schneider.

Bedford-Strohm took up the top Protestant job in Germany a year earlier than planned, after his predecessor, Nikolaus Schneider, resigned prematurely in order to care for his sick wife.

Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia II: “May God grant that everybody should see in his or her neighbor a brother and not an enemy”

His Holiness Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia II of All Georgia in connection with the feast-day of Venerable Archimandrite Gabriel (Urgibadze; 1929-1995, commemorated on November 2) delivered an address after the Divine Liturgy at the Holy Trinity Cathedral, reports Gruzia Online.

His Holiness informed his flock that a street in Tbilisi where St. Gabriel’s house is situated would be named after him. Also a parcel of land nearby has been allotted where a Church of Venerable Gabriel will be built.